From what you are describing, you are making a call per client per second. So all boils down to how much it takes to serve the request. If let's say, it takes 100ms to serve the request.
So what that means is Http Keep-Alive of 15 seconds will be have 15 calls accommodated w/o re-establishing connection but connection was actual active (or being used) only for 1.5 seconds - rest of the time, you are actually blocking some client/connection (assuming there is any client). W/o keep alive, you can probably accommodate 8-9 times more concurrent clients.
I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.